


Born Rivals

by USSRomanoff



Series: 15/100 challenge [1]
Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Comics - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen, One Sided Rivalry, Red Room, nothing really more than mentioning, winterwidow background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5398424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USSRomanoff/pseuds/USSRomanoff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yelena always disliked Natalia but she was the darling of the red room who wouldn't acknowledge Yelena's one sided rivalry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Born Rivals

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a challenge that [areazel](http://archiveofourown.org/users/areazel) picked for me from [this list](https://kathrineroid.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/100-themes-challenge-writing-prompts/). Because I know myself and there is no way I would finish 100. 
> 
> This prompt: 4. Rivalry

Snow fell heavily on the grounds outside, white and soft-- pure looking. Only that's just the facade it puts up, snow was cold, biting and brutal. Looking innocent for any unsuspecting observer. A smile tugged at the young blonde's lips as she purposefully ignored the performance of another in the program. She wasn't always blatantly rude, most times she just pretended to be paying attention as another girl had to practice her skills. She only reserved such behavior for one person.

"Belova--" 

Her name being called cause Yelena to snap her head around, watching the room once more. 

"Can you tell me how many of Romanova's bullets found the bullseye?" 

Yelena looked at the target and squinted, trying to guess based on the holes left, they were close together so it was hard for her to tell by glancing. 

"Come," she was ordered, "I want you to exceed by one the amount Romanova just made." 

Yelena glared at the red head as if it were her fault as she cam over and picked up another gun. It was Natalia's fault though, she was constantly showing off. The darling of the red room, everyone always praised her highly, compared Yelena's mistakes to her victories. Yelena despised her and wanted to show her that she wasn't the only one who was that skilled. 

The gun was cool in her hand as she lifted it. Yelena knew she had to shoot the right number of times or she would end up being punished in an unpleasant and humiliating way. She squared her shoulders, she was fairly sure there were seven shots which meant that she needed to do eight. Yelena fired at the target, hitting the bullseye eight times. She put the gun down and looked up, waiting. 

Steely eyes of their instructor cut into Yelena. Even when she preformed well she regarded Yelena with a frown and narrowed eyes that could see through her. She couldn't tell by looking at her if she had done well or not. There was a long pause. 

"I want you to practice at the barre in the courtyard until midnight," she said and then turned away from Yelena, ignoring her as she continued Natalia's individual assessment. 

Yelena's shoulders fell just a tiny bit as she went to go outside. One of the crueler punishments in her opinion was being made to go practice ballet in the snow. For one it was cold, a leotard and tights didn't offer much warmth, and then there was what really bothered Yelena. Being forced to practice ballet instead of any of the more lethal skills required for a Black Widow. Every second she spent out here at the barre set up in the courtyard was one more she was allowing Natalia to becoming better than her. 

Yelena knew that one was her fault, if she had paid attention she wouldn't have had to come forward in the first place. Still her anger was turned toward Natalia. She grated on every nerve of Yelena's, if she wasn't so infuriating then Yelena wouldn't act out against her. 

Yelena began her work at the barre, willing herself not to shiver as she had only just begun. She would miss dinner while she was out here. The most annoying thing about Natalia is she never acknowledged Yelena's rivalry with her. She completely ignored everything Yelena did, as if she wasn't even there. But yet Yelena was expected to look up to her? To see her as something to strive towards? Natalia may be a few years older but she wasn't a Black Widow yet. 

Yelena looked up at the lit windows as she moved in the snow. One of those figures darkening the windows was Natalia, warm and happy, likely full from her dinner. The heat from her loathing kept Yelena warm as she danced in the snow. 

It wasn't long after that incident that Natalia graduated to a full Back Widow. She moved to another facility, one similar to this Yelena guessed. With Natalia gone Yelena was finally able to get the spotlight she deserved. The shadow of Natalia Romanova no longer overshadowed Yelena's accomplishments. 

Yelena continued her training without another punishment. A couple more years and she reached her graduation to Black Widow. She moved out of the training facility, coming face to face again with Natalia. Yelena felt confident as she moved in that her skills and accomplishments would speak for themselves. She waited, prepared for her first mission. Only the next mission that came up was given to Natalia as she had a higher success rate and this was a particularly sensitive mission. 

Yelena could feel her hate raising in her chest again. She waited for her own mission and was given a few small ones. Yelena felt like they didn't believe in her abilities. Meanwhile, Natalia was given the tougher missions and even working with the Winter Solder. Yelena knew she could complete those missions just as well. 

She didn't see the other Widows as much as when she was training. They were kept more separate, even if they were closer together they were on missions most of the time. It was rare to see someone and even rarer to run into Natalia. Yelena hadn't seen her but a few times, just heard of everything that she was doing. As if she was supposed to be interested in her. 

One night Yelena was returning from a mission late, she walked in the hals towards her room. The facility was quieter than usual. Which was why another set of footsteps echoed so loudly in the halls. Yelena turned and followed the source of the noise, discovering Natalia sneaking through the hallways. 

"Where are you heading to Romanova?" she asked with a smirk. If anyone knew that Natalia was leaving the facility without permission she would be punished heavily. 

"Nowhere," Natalia answered. "I was going to go train." 

"There's a curfew if you're not returning from a mission," she said. 

"I am aware of the rules Belova, I have been here longer than you have," Natalia replied turning back towards her room. 

Yelena watched her as Natalia went back to her room. She had a feeling Natalia was up to something that if exposed would land her in a whole lot more trouble than having to dance in the cold. She was determined that whatever it was she would find out. 

Yelena spent her time when she wasn't sent out trying to find any dirt on Natalia. She was good at covering her tracks, she had to be with being one the Black Widows. But Yelena was trained in espionage as well. She received the same training, this would finally prove who was the better between the two of them. 

Yelena snuck into Natalia's room when she wasn't there. Like most Black Widows she only had the bare necessities in her room. Nothing to give any hint of a personality or any sort of life outside of Red Room. She knew that she wasn't going to find anything here. Yelena planted a bug in Natalia's dresser, she felt it was hidden well enough that Natalia wouldn't find it for at least a little while. 

Yelena listened in on Natalia when she was home but didn't hear anything she could use against her. She stayed up many nights just listening to Natalia sleeping. It continued like that for several months, Yelena was committed, she was going to continue if it took her the rest of her life. 

Luckily for her, it didn't take that long. Yelena kept moving the bug to keep Natalia from finding it and six months in she still hadn't. One night Yelena heard was she was waiting for, the faint rustling of Natalia getting back out of her bed. Yelena waited till she heard the soft click of her door, then she left her room and followed Natalia out. She didn't confront her this time, just followed her. She furrowed her brows as Natalia left their building and headed to another one where most of the men stayed. 

Yelena smirked to herself, if she caught Natalia with a man she could get her in trouble. Very big trouble. The building also had some training rooms so it was possible that what Natalia had told her was true. But Yelena hoped she wasn't being honest. She stayed just out of sight, quiet. Natalia was on high alert she could tell. Natalia paused at a door and knocked, looking around for any signs of another person, missing Yelena as she crouched in the shadows. 

The door opened slowly and even though it was dark and Yelena only got a quick glimpse, he was unmistakable. Natalia was having a tryst with the Winter Soldier. Yelena grinned to herself and sank back in the shadows, heading to her room. This was bigger than she had thought before. Forget punishment, this would end up destroying Natalia. 

Yelena kept the information to herself for a few weeks, just waiting. She would smirk knowingly at Natalia in the hallway the few times she saw her. Natalia ignored her as usual, and it didn't bother Yelena in the slightest this time. When rumors of a huge mission that Yelena craved for spread through the facility she decided to make use of her information. She went to her superiors in private and told them that she thought she had seen something inappropriate between Natalia and the Winter Soldier. 

They were quick to strike. Yelena couldn't be there to watch but she heard the two were caught together. The Winter Soldier was beaten to death in front of Natalia and dragged away as she screamed. Yelena was floating on air as Natalia was completely broken. Yelena was given the mission she wanted and slowly replaced Natalia's spot in the ranks. 

As much as she disliked Natalia, Yelena never saw her completely betraying her motherland. She left Red Room and moved to America, joining up with the enemy. Yelena was thoroughly disgusted by her, but at least now everyone saw Natalia for what Yelena had aways seen.


End file.
